38 NOTES ON TREES. 



with a poorer soil if need be. It is advisable to confine this 

 variety to the poorer qualities of larch soils, where it is less 

 rank in growth and gives evidence of producing a better 

 quality of timber. Soils with a thin crop of bracken and 

 poorer grasses, with a little heath or ling, suit it very well. 



Both varieties love a high degree of atmospheric moisture, 

 but must have good drainage in soil, and in the subsoil 

 if the former is shallow. They should be planted in early 

 spring. In large schemes of afforestation care should be 

 taken that larch is not planted to such an extent that the 

 supply of it will exceed the demand. 



Beech. The sylvicultural qualities of common beech 

 (Fagus sylvatica) are too well known to require repetition. 

 In all planting schemes it should be used as an auxiliary 

 to the crop, if not as a timber-producer. Its soil require- 

 ments are very similar to those of larch and silver fir, but 

 it is better fitted for exposed situations than the former, 

 and on promontories makes a most useful wind-break along 

 with the latter. It may be used with great advantage to 

 the crop in filling up blanks in larch groups after these 

 have had a good start. It may also be advantageously 

 planted among spruces on good soils, and, with great 

 benefit to the crop, on patches of better ground dotted 

 throughout areas of poorer soil quality. The altitude to 

 which it may be used in this respect will have to be 

 decided independently for each locality. Beech may not 

 succeed to the same height as spruce, but where it can be 

 introduced its beneficial qualities demand that it should 

 have due consideration. 



The study of natural herbage as a guide in the discrimi- 

 nation of land which may be profitably planted from 

 that which may not, and also as a guide to what class of 

 tree should be planted, is a phase of the science of afforesta- 

 tion which is yet in its infancy. What has been said, the 

 experience of the past ten years would appear to support ; 

 but one is daily ascertaining new facts and encountering 



